Attitudes of bus operators towards real-time transit information tools

Although it is apparent that providing useful information has a positive effect on transit riders, no studies to date have investigated bus operators’ reactions to real-time arrival information and other potential rider information tools. In this study, the project team surveyed 253 bus operators to determine their views and values concerning the existing use of real-time information and to ask about future transit rider information applications. Almost all operators (93 and 91 % on two separate questions) were positive or neutral to the provision of real-time information. In addition, operators were receptive to building other new information applications, with all applications in the survey being supported by at least 60 % of the bus operators. The two most widely supported potential applications in the survey were additional tools to help blind and deaf-blind riders (89 % of bus operators favored) and an application that would aid riders in identifying physical stop, shelter and bus issues such as graffiti, broken parts or a need for lights (88 % of bus operators). Applications displaying data about past performance or current bus capacity received the least support (66 and 61 % respectively). This research gives a better understanding of the impact of rider information tools on bus operators, including the views and values of the operators, and the harms and benefits of such tools.     

Integrating GIS concepts into transportation network data structures

Transportation network data structures must be designed to meet the requirements of the analyses being conducted and must be compatible with the selected graphical user interface. Increasing interest in geographic information systems (GIS) and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) have further burdened the network data structure. It is possible to implement object oriented programming (OOP) technology to satisfy these needs, without making the data structure excessively complicated.

This paper shows how a well‐developed network data structure can incorporate major capabilities normally associated with stand‐alone GIS's. The design of a network data structure derives from both theoretical and practical considerations. A design of a network data structure, composed entirely of objects, is presented. Examples of its implementation, limitations, advantages, and possible extensions are drawn from experience with the General Network Editor (GNE).     

An information-based color feature representation and its application in detecting adult images

For many image classification tasks, color histogram is usually employed as an important “signature” to describe the color distribution of the image and infer the image content. However, most traditional color histograms cannot achieve satisfactory results in many image classification systems. In order to improve the accuracy and reduce the computational complexity of the classification task, an information-based color feature representation is proposed in this paper. The mutual information between the feature and the class label is adopted to evaluate the discriminative power of the feature. A novel quantization scheme is presented, which removes the redundant color components and combines the adjacent components together to generate a new feature to maximize the discriminative ability. An iterative algorithm is performed to derive the color space quantization and color feature generation. In order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed color representation, a specific image classification task, i.e., differentiating the adult images from benign ones, is employed. Experimental results show that our color feature achieves better classification performance and better efficiency compared with the traditional color histogram.     

Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness: Progress and Lessons in the Philippines

Quantifying progress in management of marine protected areas (MPAs) is crucial to marine conservation and fisheries management in the Philippines. This study compiles data on the status, occurrence, and management gaps of MPAs through coordination with multiple organizations supporting and guiding MPAs in the Philippines. MPA management effectiveness was measured using a MPA Rating System. Since 2002 the modal MPA rating levels increased from level 1 (initiated) to level 4 (sustained) in 2008/9. This upward trend is attributed to factors that promoted both the establishment and improved management of MPAs. Analysis indicated that: (1) most MPAs struggle with budgetary constraints or lack of sustainable financing and (2) overall the MPAs are being maintained and progressing with notable improvement in management despite a range of difficulties encountered during the implementation process. For MPAs in the Visayan Region for which biophysical data were available, the MPA Rating System was used to assess the effectiveness of local government capacity building on MPA coral reef health. Our results suggest that MPAs with higher ratings are likely to have better reef health conditions.     

Book review

Recreation: Marine Promise, Proceedings of the National Conference on Marine Recreation Susan H. Andersen, Ed., October 2–4, 1975, Newport Beach, California

Parable Beach: A Primer in Coastal Zone Economics by J. W. Devanney III, G. Ashe, and B. Parkhurst, The MIT Press, 1976, 99 pp.

Marine Recreational Fisheries, Proceedings of the First Annual Marine Recreational Fisheries Symposium Henry Clepper, ed., New Orleans, Louisiana, February 27, 1976.     

China shipbuilding management challenges in the 1980s

Since the economic reforms in the late 1970s, the shipbuilding industry in China has enjoyed rapid growth. Over the past two decades, many new building contracts have been won and successfully completed. However, some shipyards have also suffered great losses. Basing on their experience in Southern China, the authors examine some of the major challenges that Chinese shipbuilders faced during this transitional period, when the industry ventured into the international market. These challenges are broadly categorized into two areas: (i) external factors, such as inflation and infrastructural support that the shipbuilder had no control over, and (ii) shipbuilding management, which the shipbuilder had to master in order to gain competitive advantage. Suggestions on how these problems could be tackled are discussed.     

Contributors to this issue

Contributors to this issue     

Taxonometric evaluation

Transportation planning has for too long been unbalanced in that an excessive amount of time has been spent on building increasingly complex quantitative models at the expense of rather important aspects of the design and forecasting stages of the process. This paper therefore sets out to consider two related problems: that of forming a coherent and useful link between the design and evaluation stages and that of suggesting a method of dealing with probabilistic forecasts within the evaluation model.The solutions to both of these problems are linked. It is suggested that the structure of and variables contained within the formal evaluation model must also necessarily play a part in the scheme design or selection process. This process is itself seen as one of hierarchical selection wherein classes of scheme or solution are successively more explicitly identified as sensibly different and, where possible, the preferred class is identified. Central to this taxonometric procedure is the idea of sensible differentiation between classes whose characteristic performance is only known uncertainly and some algorithms for achieving this are suggested.     

Transit funding: Implications of federal aid strategies

Federal funding strategies greatly affect investment in urban transportation facilities in the United States. This analysis concentrates on the implications of varying federal aid matching requirements, structuring aid programs as categorical or block grants, and allo cating funds on a discretionary basis or according to formula. Toward this end the effects of recent federal transit aid arrangements are assessed.Increased federal matching share broadens program participation, especially among smaller cities. However, when offered a choice, communities' preference for more generous federal aid shares is tempered by their election of discretionary grants (e.g., Urban Mass Transportation Administration - UMTA - Section 3) instead of drawing on formula funds (e.g., UMTA Section 5 or highway fund transfers). Formula funds are easier to administer, distributed quite evenly in the UMTA case, and generally more suitable than discretionary funds except where expenditures are large relative to budgets. Categorical aid programs shift local priorities, and thus should be used with cautionOverall, results suggest that one must begin with established transportation objectives against which to evaluate the effectiveness of funding arrangements. In particular, it is critical to make clear the rationale for federal involvement in funding specific programs. Four such federal funding intents are distinguished: compelling national interest, regional development, stimulation of recipient investment in the given program, or financial relief for the aid recipient. Conclusions are drawn as to the desirability of various funding policies according to such program intent.